HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of Memphis football team was caught between "The Rock" and a hard place Saturday against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
With four wins and needing six to be bowl eligible, the Tigers had to come out of M.M. Roberts Stadium, also called "The Rock," with a win if they wanted to extend their season and head to a third-straight bowl game.
The circumstances before the game had to worry Tigers fans.
It was running back DeAngelo Williams' first game back on the field after missing last week's game against Tennessee.
The team hadn't won in Hattiesburg in 21 years.
Both Williams and quarterback Maurice Avery were nursing tender ankles.
And to top it off, Avery was hurting physically and emotionally. His grandmother died days before the game.
"That's about as torn up as I had seen Mo (Avery)," said head coach Tommy West. "He was pretty distraught."
However unfocused or distracted Avery was, he still guided Memphis (5-5 overall, 4-3 in Conference USA) to a 24-22 win against USM (5-5, 4-3).
"It's not me that makes our offense go, it's Maurice Avery," DeAngelo Williams said.
Avery got the Tigers going in the first quarter with his legs scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers a 7-3 lead.
On the night Avery rushed for 64 yards and threw for 157 yards on 12 of 19 passing with one interception, which came on a deep pass attempt to end the first half.
"He gave us a chance with his legs and he gave us a chance with his arm," West said.
With their backs against the wall, the bend-not-break Memphis defense gave up the big play in the first half, but when it counted, they stepped up.
Up 7-3 on the Golden Eagles, the Tigers' O.C. Collins picked off a pass to put the Tigers at USM's 43-yard line and set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Williams, the first of two in the game, to put the Tigers on top going into halftime 14-3.
In the third, Williams added a 29-yard touchdown catch to put the Tigers up 21-3 and appeared to have a firm hold on the team's fifth win of the season. However, USM quarterback Dustin Almond almost extended the 21-year drought Memphis has suffered in Hattiesburg.
With the score 21-9 in the fourth quarter, Almond connected with Joe Singleton for a 15-yard touchdown and later completed a 30-yard strike to Josh Barnes to pull within two points with 1:30 left in the game.
The two-point conversion had to be stopped twice to seal the Memphis win.
"I had no doubt we'd get it," said defensive lineman Marcus West. "I was disappointed that it was a pass. We physically ruled the front the whole game."
The final drive of the game was most likely meaningless in the scope of the game itself, but in the scope of college football, it was history.
DeAngelo became the all-time leader in all-purpose yards in the NCAA. He finished the night with 123 rushing yards and 151 total on the night.
Next week's home game against Marshall will be the last home game for Williams and the rest of the Tigers' seniors.
Game Notes
̢ۢ DeAngelo Williams became the fourth all-time leading rusher in NCAA history as well as the all-time leader in all-purpose yardage.
̢ۢ Carlton Robinzine, wide receiver, missed Saturday's game due to a burn on his hand he suffered last week.
̢ۢ In the spirit of Thanksgiving, referee Gil Gelbke thanked the scoreboard operator over the PA system after every reset of the game clock.
